Whirler.



' PATENTBDrJ'UNE 28,1904,`

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IO p My invention relates to improvements in I UNITED STATES Patented J une 28, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE w. HINTON, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 763,487, dated June 28, 1904.

pplication iiled January '7, 1902. Serial No. 88,752. (No model.) l

'To all whom/.1175 may concern.-

of Missouri, have invented a new and useful` Whirler; and I do herebydecl are the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use My invention the same.

that classof centrifugal machines, commonly known as evenly spreading and drying sensitive lilms on the metal plates used in photo-etching processes, such as half-tone, zinc-etch, and the like;

and the objectsof my improvements are,u`rst,to`

provide a whirler in which gravity alone holds either a glass or a metal plate in place within a gyrating body of such form and parts as will render the plate (being gyrated thereby) absolutely safe "from injury arising from accident or from careless handling of said plate; second, to provide convenient means for eX-;

cluding all actinic light from theinterior of said gyrating bodyA and to so arrange the parts ofa whirler that .heated air will be adjustably and economically directed into and through Said gyrating body and to provide means for separating-all dust,-iber,V and the like from said'heated air before it passes through said gyrating body; third, to 'provide' receptacles in which the. sensitive matter centrifugally thrown from the gyrated plate will find lodgment and to so arrange the parts of a whirler that they may be easily and quickly separated for cleaning; fourth, to provide a whirler vof such form and parts as will afford ready means for starting, stopping, and adjustably speeding the gyratio'ns ot' said whirler when 'driven either by power or manually. I obtain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section cut on the line X,.X seen in Fig. 2.v Fig.2 is a side elevation.- d

consists of a cone 1, provided with an inwardly-projecting flange 2, to the inner edge of which is secured'the vertical hand 3, apertured at 4, covered by a lid 5, having .a vertical band 6 at its edge and a'handle k7 at its top. and an annular bead 8 on its under surface for encircling the vertical band 3, thus holding lid 5 in place.

To the lower en'dvor` thecOneA'l is communi- "catively secured thek tube 9 by-cone-nut 10 and by a spider 18, the outer ends resting on bead 19, formed with the wall'of chamber 16. Whirlers, ordinarily used for From the base .15 depends the bracket-support 20, holding. rod 21, .to which is adjustably secured the collar 22 by thumb-screw 23.

v.Bracket 24, holdingnlamp 25, having burner- `11, carrying 'splash-pan 37. Crank 31 is at- 75 tached to `belt-wheel 30,'for`med with friction- Wheel29.l Shifter-bar 32, (seeFig. 1,) having d ratchets 33 adjustably engaging lug 34 on [placed film side downward within cone 1,

which by reason of 'the gravity of saidplate and the shape of cone 1 is readily chucked, centered, and held in place. Lid 5=is then placed, as seen in Figs. Y1 and 2, and lamp 25 havingbeen previously lighted and' adjusted in the usual manner the operator grasps handle 31 and by it rotates wheel l29,gyrating friction-disk11gyrating cone 1, gyrat'ing plate 36. Heated air from lamp 25. passes upward through chamber 16 and is deflected downward by the lower extremity of tube 9 finto,

.cup 17, depositing dust particles in said cup,

`-frame 14, shifts .wheel 29 by having its' end 1, and outward through apertures`4 and bel While the described operation is a desirable means of quickly drying wet or moist negative-films, it is especially designed to centrifugally spread and to dry sensitive films on copper and zinc plates for photo-etching, and when such is done a previously-polished metal plate 36 (while still wet to prevent oxidizing by the atmosphere) is flowed all'over its polished surface with an approximately even iilm of one of the various sensitive solutions now generally in use by photo-engravers. At the operators option an extra amount of said solution may or may not be flowed upon the center of the plate, after which said plate is preferably turned film side downward, is placed in cone 1, covered by lid 5, (see Fig. 1,) whirled by rotation of wheel 29, dried by heated air from lamp 25, and protected from light and dust by parts previously described. Where surrounding conditions as tolight and dust render use of lid 5 unnecessary, said lid may be dispensed with. During the first stages of whirling plate'36 centrifugal force throws any excess of the sensitive liquid from the edges of said plate and causes an even spreading and properthickness of film thereon, provided, however, that the speed of the gyrations is in proper accord with the consistency. of the'sensitive solution used-as, for instance, a solution of thin-liquid consistency would require'less speed than a `viscous preparation. The excess of sensitive liquid centrifugally thrown from plate 36 is retained within cone 1 by iiange 2 until the whirler is stopped, upon which the sensitive matter thus retained gravitates onto cone-nut 10 and is centrifugally thrown from cone 1 through perforations 38 into splash-pan 37 by the repeated operation of whirler."

My invention may be driven by a belt not shown) upon belt-wheel 30 and' its speed be adjusted by moving shifter -bar 32. When so driven, by the upward' rotation of handle L10 on pivot 41 brake 42 elevates disk 11 clear of wheel 29 and supports, brakes, and stops disk 11 and conel, which are again started by loweringhandle 40.

It will be seen ley-reference to Fig. 1 that lidl is readily removable, that cone 1, conenut 10, splash-pan 37, friction-disk 11, and tube 9 may be lifted from bearings 12 and 13, and that cup 17 on flexible spider 18 may be. readily removed from chamber 16 for cleaning dust, excessI sensitive matter, &c., from the parts. It will also be seen that lid 5,splash pan 37, and cup 17 shield the openings into the interior of cone 1 from entrance of direct actinic light and that should plate 36 be carelessly placed and centrifugally thrown said plate 36 would be retained upon the convexed inner surface of cone 1 by iiange 2, thus rendering it impossible tov injure the surface of plate 36. l

While I- have shown and described my invention in the foregoing manner, I do not wish to restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts as set forth, but reserve the right to modify or change said parts in any manner without departing from the spirit of my invention, such as to gyrate a cone by any suitable mechanism-such as belt, bevel-gear, or motor, &c.- or to locate the splash-pan 37 and perforations 38 at either the top or bottom of cone 1 or to apply a gas-jet or other source of heat instead of lamp 25.

I am aware that various devices or attachments could be applied to a gyratable ventilated eone; but I am not aware that any gyratable ventilated cone (for gyrating a plate) other than mine has ever been known.

Therefore what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A whirler for photo-engraving plates having an inverted interiorly-unobstructed Ventilated hollow cone for the reception of thc plates, and means whereby a current of hot air may be admitted to said conc, substantially as specified.

2. A whirler for photo-engraving plates, having a rotatable hollow cone having a perforated cover, and provided with an opening in its bottom, by means of which a current of hot air can be admitted, substantially as specified.

3. A whirler for photo-engraving plates, having a hollow cone, a ventilated cover for said cone, a hollow shaft carrying at its upper end portion said cone, and means for introducing heated air through said shaft into the interior of the cone, substantially as specified.

4. A whirler for photo-engraving plates, having a hollow cone, a hollow rotatable shaft, a nut and friction-disk for connecting shaft and cone, and driving means engaging said disk, substantially as specified.

5. A whirler for photo-engraving plates, having a hollow cone, a hollow rotatable shaft communicating with the interior of said cone, a stationary bearing-frame for said shaft, a friction-disk and splash-pan carried by said cone, a bearing-stud carried by said frame, a friction-wheel upon said stud, and means engaging said wheel to adjust the same upon said stud to control the speed of rotation of the cone, substantially as specified.

6. A whirler for photo-engraving plates, having a hollow cone, a hollow rotatable shaft communicating with the interior of said cone,

IOO

for, a bearing-frame for said shaft having a gina] perforations for saiolcone, substantially hollow base, a dust cup and defleotor in said as specified. K Y

hollow base, and an adjustable lamp-bracket In testimony whereofIalhX my signature in forming a part of said frame, substantially as presence of two witnesses.

5 specified. Y lGEORGE W. HINTON.

8. A whirler for photo-engraving plates,

having arotatable hollow cone for the reception of the plates, and a cover having mar- Witnesses:

GEORGE E. CRoNIN, WILLIAM M. MYERS. 

